


Can I sleep with you?

by ambiguity (liselle), ang3lsh1, motleystitches (furius)



Series: 鎮魂 | Guardian Transmigration AU [1]
Category: Real Person Fiction, 镇魂 | Guardian (TV), 镇魂 | Guardian (TV) RPF, 镇魂 | Guardian - priest
Genre: Alternate Universe - Character Swap, Identity Swap, M/M, Meta, Mistaken Identity, Transmigration
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-26
Updated: 2019-01-26
Packaged: 2019-08-29 20:24:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,174
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16750945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/liselle/pseuds/ambiguity, https://archiveofourown.org/users/ang3lsh1/pseuds/ang3lsh1, https://archiveofourown.org/users/furius/pseuds/motleystitches
Summary: Standard disclaimer: This is an outline of a work of fiction and contains elements of RPF.Alternate universe where Zhu Yilong and Bai Yu are incarnations of Shen Wei and Kun-lun Jun, but neither realise it.What if Zhu Yilong and Shen Wei switched places?How would Zhao Yunlan react to a perpetually confused Shen Wei who can’t control the length of his hair and insists that he is not Xiao Wei (and he is certainly not Zhao Yunlan’s wife, thank you very much)?How would Bai Yu react to a Long-ge who suddenly slams him up against the wall and kisses him with the passion of ten dying suns? (help!)





	1. Episode 1: the Wraith Executioner Almost Gets Executed

When Zhu Yi Long opens his eyes to find himself in the middle a vaguely familiar set piece his first thought was ‘I’m pretty sure we’re in the middle of filming Chongqi up in the mountains in the middle of nowhere.’

What is not familiar is the sudden ball of fire coming his way and this is not how filming usually goes. 

‘Shen Wei!’ 

He hasn’t heard that tone in about a year, next thing he knows, he’s being pushed out of the way and there’s a warm body on top of him while said ball of fire collides and dissipates on the wall behind them.

The scene is almost familiar to him but at the same time it’s not possible, seeing that filming on this set wrapped up more than a year ago. Also there was no way the sfx team could have managed that in the budget.

The feeling of arms pulling him into a seated position and patting him worriedly pulls him back to the actual present and Zhu Yi Long blinks. He pinches himself. It hurts. 

‘Shen Wei,’ Zhao Yun Lan calls again, staring deep into his eyes, brows furrowed. ’Are you alright, what happened?’

Panicked, Zhu Yi Long widens his eyes and thinks maybe. Just maybe this is a very convoluted variety show that his agency shoved him into and didn’t tell him. Maybe.

Zhu Yi Long gently brushes off Zhao Yun Lan’s hands, reassuring him that he’s alright, however Zhao Yun Lan is not convinced. Not even when Zhu Yi Long widens his eyes guilelessly before a long slow blink that usually gets him out of most difficult interview situations. 

Instead he’s dragged back to the SID offices and he notes that they seem to go through proper streets instead of crossing sets. Also there is a disturbing lack of camera and background crew. The unsettling feeling curdles his belly but he squashes it down, there has to be a reasonable explanation for this. 

Variety shows always have ridiculous budgets right?

Zhao Yun Lan leads him to over to the sofa before snapping at Zhu Hong to come over and to look over him. She gives him a once over and honestly, how much budget does this variety show have to hire the same cast and set?!

Zhu Yi Long repeats the same guileless look at her, maybe this time it’ll work. Work what he’s not quite sure but he still tries. Then she’s pulling Zhao Yun Lan over to the corner and then they both start whispering arguments while turning to look over at him, with Zhao Yun Lan giving an awkward wave.

Zhu Yi Long returns the awkward wave with a small smile. Slipping back into Shen Wei is almost a little too easy with all the set pieces. Zhu Hong notices them looking at each other before she’s tugging Zhao Yun Lan back into the argument.

He looks down at his hands and turns his hands out, if this was really the set on Guardian he’d turn his wrist this way and -- he jumps when he feels cold steel in his hand. The blade falls onto the floor, loud enough that everyone in the room turns towards him. 

He can’t help it. He panics and the next thing he knows is that he finds himself in front of the closest shopping mall.

The first thing he does is make a beeline to purchase a new smartphone. He dials up Lao Bai’s number just so he can start yelling at him except the only answer he receives is the automated voice repeating over and over again that the number is not in service. 

Zhu Yi Long looks down at the phone service and takes note of the small differences, a little too much detail for a variety show. Ignoring the fact that he’s just summoned a blade from thin air and literally teleported out of the SID office. 

Look, deep down he’s always hoped maybe once things actually start looking up maybe, maybe if he’s lucky he’d be offered second lead to some qidian drama. Unfortunately this feels more like a danmei transmigration subplot. 

Disheartened he unlocks his phone again and types into the search function ‘Hotpot near me.’

It pings five different locations and reviews at him.

He picks the closest 5 star review. 

Hotpot first, then a nap and then maybe he’ll figure this out. 

And some way to yell some more at Lao Bai.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unbetaed, all mistakes are my own.
> 
> No thanks to the discord for spawning this eldritch horror that will not stop growing. 
> 
> Link to the discord server:
> 
> https://discord.gg/WC7SMUW
> 
> Tags will be added as we post along.


	2. Episode 2: There is trouble in the Zhaos harmonious marriage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What it says on the lid.

‘Shen Wei!’

Zhao Yun Lan is half a step too late to chase after Shen Wei, hands closing around thin air as Shen Wei blinks out of SID offices in a haze of black mist.

He ignores the protests from the rest of his team and leaves the office to chase Shen Wei. He tosses out instructions to keep the suspect and have either Zhu Hong or Lao Chu start the interrogation regarding the underground Dixingians crossing over without proper visas.

His first instinct is to either go home or to Shen Wei’s office, but something about how unsettled Shen Wei was finds Zhao Yun Lan navigating his way to their old apartment block.

Sure enough he finds Shen Wei standing before the door, staring at the doorknob looking a little lost.  

‘Babe,’ he starts, noting how Shen Wei jumps at the sound of his voice. Zhao Yun Lan goes over to Shen Wei, noticing how tense he is. Zhao Yun Lan cradles the nape of his neck gently and busses a kiss to his temple, ‘Babe, whatever it is, it can wait till morning. Let’s go home.’

He wraps his hand around Shen Wei’s wrist, tugging him towards the stairs gently.

 

***

 

A half hour earlier Zhu Yi Long was trying his best to enjoy his hotpot. Except his mind kept coming back to this important issue of ‘ _How is he going to get back and more importantly where did he transmigrate to_?’

The drama would be easy enough for him to adlib Shen Wei even without a script. Just follow the cues and he should be fine. But if it were the novel -- he pauses, staring down at his bowl, chopsticks hovering over his lips -- it’s too intense, at his advanced age, he doesn’t have the psychological strength to bear it.

Next thing he knows, he’s blinking out of the hotpot restaurant, landing in front of Shen Wei’s apartment with Zhao Yun Lan walking up towards him.

Still not quite willing to accept his situation, Zhu Yi Long laughs weakly, tugging his hand that’s held in Zhao Yun Lan’s grasp, jokes, ‘Lao Bai, please tell me this is some convoluted variety show.’

However Zhao Yun Lan only tilts his head at him and repeats gently, ‘It’s been a long day, Xiao Wei, let’s go home and talk about it in the morning okay?’

He lets himself be guided gently to the new apartment building and tells Zhao Yun Lan that he needs to go through his lesson plans for the next day and locks himself in what appears to be Shen Wei’s study.

Zhu Yi Long spends all night poring over Shen Wei’s schedule, his notes; despairing even more that they’re on Chinese literature and not weird alien biology.

He wakes up in the morning, slumped over the desk, there is a crick in his neck that reminds him, he’s really too old to do these things anymore. The blanket draped around him falls off when he sits up and wanders in the direction of the kitchen where Zhao Yun Lan is in the middle of preparing..something, who looks up when he hears Zhu Yi Long walk in.

Zhu Yi Long automatically accepts the offered mug and sips at it. Tea. He’s relieved when Zhao Yun Lan slides a plate of toast over at him, picking it up to nibble at. He stills when Zhao Yun Lan cups the back of his head, pulling him forward to press a kiss on his forehead, stubble scratching him.

Zhu Yi Long freezes, heart leaping to his throat, no amount of mental fortitude will ever prepare him for a scene where he possibly has to push Zhao Yun Lan, he decides right there and then. He looks up at Zhao Yun Lan from under his lashes, face burning, he quickly ducks away from Zhao Yun Lan, ‘I need to get dressed for class.’

He starts down the hallway, stopping when Zhao Yun Lan calls out to him, concerned, ‘Xiao Wei? The bedroom is the other way?’

Zhu Yi Long stops, turns back, babbles an excuse as he makes a beeline in the direction that Zhao Yun Lan is pointing. Only when he safe behind closed door does he collapse in on himself for a moment.

Okay wardrobe. Clothes -- Zhu Yi Long despairs at the rows of suits and fitted everything.

 

***

 

Zhao Yun Lan remains in the kitchen, ruminating over this new puzzle that is the wife.

He goes through the events of the last two days, comes up with nothing. Thinks back to the last month but Zhao Yun Lan is still incapable of coming up with anything he’d done recently to make Shen Wei upset.

When Shen Wei finally emerges from the bedroom, Zhao Yun Lan’s old man heart skips a beat. There’s no other word to describe the wifey. Soft, white oversized cashmere sweater that he’s almost swimming in; the sleeves spill over his wrists, leaving only his fingers exposed. Worn over loose comfortable slacks that ends right above his delicate ankles. But most damning is the soft, tousled hair that clearly was mussed when Shen Wei pulled the sweater on. He really can’t help the upsurge of lust when his wife is this cute but Shen Wei steps back as he moves forward, pushing his glasses up, blinking owlishly saying, ‘We shouldn’t be late, Zhao Yun Lan.’

Foiled by the knowledge that there are few things in life that Shen Wei will budge from even for him, Zhao Yun Lan acquiesces and they’re out of the door. Zhao Yun Lan stubbornly twining his hand in Shen Wei’s all the way to the car.

He might be able to forgo his morning kisses but there’s no way he’s keeping his hands off his wife, damnit.

 

***

 

DRAGON CITY UNIVERSITY>>GENERAL>>TOPIC >> Professor Shen’s OOTD

 

FRIENDS, COMRADES, IT IS TIME TO DISCUSS OUR NUMBER ONE BEAUTY’S OOTD!!!!

 

The sweater, the exposed ankles, everything. /swoon

#1,

 

INORITE, while I love the suits, the whole ensemble every single time, this is a whole new side

#2,

 

Umm does no one want to address how odd the lecture was today though?

#3,

 

Yea like, Professor Shen didn’t seem like himself wasn’t his usual

#4,

 

YES! It felt like he was just rote reciting from slides?

#5,

 

And then he didn’t even take questions at the end?

#6,

 

Think everything is going well in his home life?

#7,

 

YOU ARE ALL MISSING THE REAL GIFT FROM THIS MORNINGS LECTURE

#8,

 

[attached photo -- Professor Shen at lecturn, blushing furiously]

#9,

 

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAS, DATS THAT GOOD SHIT!!!111!!1

#10,

 

***

 

Zhu Yi Long leaves class as soon as possible and holes himself up in Shen Wei’s office, relieved that at least he can hide away here for lunch. He pokes at his smartphone mournfully, all his WeChat messages to Lao Bai are undelivered. Not only that no matter how hard he scoured, he still couldn’t find Player Unknown Battle Ground at all in the app store.

He looks up at the knock at the door, certain he sent emails out stating that office hours were cancelled this week only to find Zhao Yun Lan striding in. Zhao Yun Lan pauses, staring at the smartphone.

Zhu Yi Long muffles his unexplainable guilt at owning the smartphone, ‘Zhao Yun Lan?’ he asks in an attempt to distract.

He shakes his head and crowds Zhu Yi Long at Shen Wei’s desk, leering lavisciously, ‘I’m here to take the wife out to lunch.’

For once in his life Zhu Yi Long longs to have foundation slathered all over him, even the terrible foundation days, just to hide how red his face feels, he’s pretty sure you can fry an egg on his forehead right now. He swallows, averting his gaze before he registers the words properly.

He perks up, asking, ‘Can we have hotpot?’

 

***

 

Zhao Yun Lan sprawls in the chair, watching Shen Wei order, thinking he has the cutest wife ever and it’s not fair that this morning's class got the full brunt of his blushing wife. Then he blinks, registering how long the food order has been going on for.

‘One large serving of _Mala_ beef, tripe, duck intestines, large serving of _Mala_ fish slices, blood pudding, --’ the list goes on for a full two minutes before the waitress peters off with ‘-- and one large order of chinese cabbage.’

By the time the food arrives, Zhao Yun Lan is too distracted by how cute his wife is, utterly delighted by all the food and stuffing his face like the most endearing hamster, to question anything else. Especially when Shen Wei looks up mid-chew and shyly places slices of _mala_ beef in his bowl.

 

***

 

Zhao Yun Lan knocks on Shen Weis study. He’s already spent one night without wifey and Zhao Yun Lan swears he’s going to go into withdrawal symptoms if he has to sleep in their king-sized bed alone again tonight.

Shen Wei is seated cross-legged surrounded by piles and piles of notes, blinking owlishly at Zhao Yun Lan. He can’t help it, the wife has been so distant with him lately that Zhao Yun Lan will die if he can’t get his hands on his adorable wife. He wants to pull the sleeves of Shen Wei’s sweater back and kiss the pulse point there, to push his hands up and under the soft sweater and find out how many layers are there until he can touch his cool skin.  Wants to spread his hands over Shen Wei and do what it takes to make his temperature rise.

Zhao Yun Lan crouches down in front of Shen Wei, careful not to step on any of the notes and moves in slowly, holding Shen Wei’s wide gaze before flicking down to his lips. He closes in with intent, just how he knows Shen Wei likes it, slow and deliberate, taking his time, curling his hand in the fine hairs as he cradles the back of Shen Wei’s head.

Shen Wei jerks back, eyes wide in shock before he’s quickly averting his gaze.

Zhao Yun Lan blinks, heart sinking into lead.

Unsure of what he did, he pats Shen Wei’s hand, ‘Don’t stay up too late Xiao Wei. Make sure you get some rest.’  

Later that night, when Shen Wei crawls into bed, Zhao Yun Lan wraps Shen Wei in his arms, nosing the back of his neck, kissing the knob of his spine, ignoring it knots in his stomach when Shen Wei stiffens against him.

‘Relax babe, I won’t do anything you don’t want to tonight,’ Zhao Yun Lan busses another kiss on his nape, before turning over to sleep on his side. Unable to come up with any plausible reasons, Zhao Yun Lan can only wait for Shen Wei to break and explain himself.

Sometime in the middle of the night, he looks over to Shen Wei and is oddly disappointed to find him deep asleep.

He misses Shen Wei’s eyes on him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unbetaed, any mistakes are my own.


	3. Zhang Qi Ling Develops the Hots for Wu Xie

Shen Wei curls his fingers, feels the energy crackling at his fingertips, and is just about to blast away the ball of fire hurtling in his direction when…

He hears something tear and slams right into the arms of a plump middle-aged man.

“Tian Zhen?”

Shen Wei blinks, his eyes unused to the sudden darkness after the light and heat from the _dixingren's_ powers. His first instinct is to push the fat man away, but he stumbles backwards instead, his feet tripping over --

He freezes when he looks down to find his trousers pooled around his ankles. He must have underestimated the powers of the _dixingren_ , he thinks frantically, as he quickly kneels down to grab his trousers.

“Relax, Tian Zhen, there's nothing we haven't seen before.”

“Who are you?” Shen Wei snaps, his fingers digging into the rough fabric of the khaki trousers, something he would never wear -- not anything this _unrefined_ , for sure.

The fat man’s jaw drops, and his mouth works silently for a few seconds before someone screams ‘cut!’.

Shen Wei blinks as lights flared, the darkness melting away to reveal a large group of people and filming equipment. Even the idea of it seems ludicrous, but Shen Wei could have sworn that he is right in the middle of a film production, with a _torn pair of trousers which barely stayed on._

“Sorry, Long-ge,” the fat man says, and he looks truly apologetic, enough that Shen Wei doesn't immediately slam him up against the wall of the cave they are in and demand that he tells him exactly _where is he now_.

“I didn't know where you were going with that line.”

Shen Wei stares at him. “Who are you?” he asks again, slowly, digesting the fact that the fat man seems to know _him_ , or who he is supposed to be, very well. _Long-ge._ “And who is -- Long-ge?”

He regrets the question almost instantly when he looks around to find twenty pairs of eyes staring at him in shock.

“Hey --” The man laughs nervously. “Ha ha, you really got me for a second there.”

 _This isn't a joke,_ he wants to say, but someone taps him on his shoulder, and he turns around to see a woman. The look of concern on her face is strangely comforting, and Shen Wei forces himself to relax when she gently takes his arm and guides him to the side.

“I’ve spoken to the director, and he agrees that you really need a break, Ju Lao Shi. A week, at least.”

A break from whatever this is sounds good, but it is the least of his priorities, not when he _doesn't know where he is, who are these people, who is Ju Lao Shi._ He has a million and one questions, and the first one he asks is --

“May I have a pair of trousers, please?”

***

Shen Wei stares at the mirror in his hotel room, and his own face stares back at him. There are subtle differences; the cheeks are less soft, the black circles under the eyes more pronounced, but it is _undeniably_ his face.

Zhu Yi Long. That's the name on the identity card in his wallet. A man who is as far removed from Shen Wei as anyone can be, an _actor_ , of all things, and the lead in this nonsensical grave robbing drama -- isn't it criminal in this universe?

He's holed himself up in his hotel room for the past three days despite Li Chan's (the nice, competent lady is his manager, apparently) entreaties that he gets out _more._ It's enough for him to memorise the script to this ridiculous drama, and read excerpts of the original novel printed out on the nightstand. The writing isn't even particularly good.

He's also tried again and again to summon his powers, but there is _something_ in this body, a barrier of sorts such he can't quite breach. He can feel it though, the dark energy just right out of his reach, and the inability to touch it frustrates him.

This body is also ridiculously frail. There is a persistent ache at the bottom of his spine which intensifies when he bends his back, and he is _soft_ everywhere, all skin and flesh, without the hardness which came from hours of combat and training.

Shen Wei lies in bed that night, pokes at his ribs critically and thinks that Zhao Yun Lan will complain if he has to hug this bag of bones.

It's been three days, and he's missed Zhao Yun Lan every second of it. Is Yun Lan alright? He trusts that Yun Lan is perfectly capable of taking out the _dixingren_ , but he still can't help worrying.

If only he had a way to tell Yun Lan that he is -- relatively safe, despite being 10kg lighter. Yun Lan must be frantic by now, with him disappearing in the middle of battle like that.

“Yun Lan,” he whispers softly, trying -- and failing again, to summon his powers.

***

“Are you sure, Ju Lao Shi?” Li Chan somehow manages to hover worriedly over him despite being a full 15 cm shorter.

“I am.” He isn't, but Shen Wei doesn't think that it's a good idea to extend his break. Already, there are rumours that he's suffering a nervous breakdown, and Shen Wei doesn't want to risk being hospitalised and placed under surveillance 24/7, not when he's without his powers and stuck in this useless body.

Zhu Yi Long worked like a mad man, according to Li Chan. He slept less than five hours each day, and spent every waking moment studying his character, practising and bouncing ideas off the production team. Shen Wei finds it difficult to admire the man's efforts, not when it's drained him to near exhaustion and _maybe_ that's what’s been keeping him from drawing upon what little powers the man had. Every failed attempt brings him no closer to a solution, and Shen Wei almost panicked when he found himself absentmindedly chewing on his fingernails.

He's _never_ chewed his fingernails, not since the day he met Kun Lun, when Kun Lun told him that such behaviour is _uncouth_.

Zhu Yi Long obviously had the habit. Shen Wei had glared down at the pitiful stubs the man had, and chalked the behaviour down to remnant habits of the body he occupied.

“I’m _fine_ , Chan-jie,” he assures Li Chan, and the wild guess at a familiar address is obviously correct when she visibly brightens up. “ _Tell_ me if you don't feel well, ok?”

Li Chan is the first person he's truly felt comfortable with in this new world, and he pats her on the shoulder and reminds himself to get her a gift before he leaves.

***

Huang Jun Jie has all the respect in the world for Ju Lao Shi. Getting told he'd won the role of Zhang Qi Ling was probably both the most exhilarating and terrifying experience in his life; if _Yang Yang_ managed to bomb the role, what made him think _he,_ a complete newbie, would be able to do the role any sort of justice?

Wu Lei had given him a friendly pat on the shoulder. “You’ll get flamed, no doubt. Enjoy.”

Huang Jun Jie hadn't found that particularly reassuring.

Zhu Yi Long must feel the pressure too, taking on Wu Xie after Qin Hao, who is widely regarded as _the_ Wu Xie. The fans seem to have erased all memories of the other portrayals, and Huang Jun Jie could see why. The drama adaptations prior to Sand Sea were shot as idol dramas, and fans of the novels had trashed it for that.

Idols draw in the viewers, though. In fact, many people said Zhu Yi Long won the role because of his cult success with Guardian, although Huang Jun Jie knew talks had been undergoing before Guardian aired.

Huang Jun Jie hadn't quite known how to place Zhu Yi Long when he first met him. Zhu Yi Long _looks_ pretty enough to be an idol on camera, but he doesn't make an effort to hide the fine lines at the edges of his eyes, and sharp edges to his features when he isn't photoshopped tells of his age. Far too old to be fresh meat.

Huang Jun Jie is the fresh meat next to Zhu Yi Long, and once they got past the niceties and got down to work, he's never felt it more keenly. He's meant to be one who is two hundred years old in this, yet he feels so, so young next to Ju Lao Shi, who is just so _seasoned_ in every way. Where had he been the ten years before Guardian Huang Jun Jie had no idea. The man's scripts were almost universally awful, and yes, Huang Jun Jie had attempted to watch Guardian and found its only redeeming factors to be Zhu Yi Long's and Bai Yu's performances.

And the soundtrack. And some of the sets. That's it.

He's learned so much from Hu Jun and Ju Lao Shi in six months. Just watching the two bounce ideas off each other had been inspiring.

Like today. They had left the final showdown between Er Shu and Wu Xie until Hu Jun's last day. It had been a monologue in the book, but the drama had changed that to a highly charged argument between the two for obvious reasons.

There is something -- different about Ju Lao Shi today. His Wu Xie had always been vulnerable under that outer layer of grit. Today, it seems that there is less of that vulnerability, more steel and passion. His microexpressions, are, as always, impeccable, the anger and anguish showing through the shuttered expression, and there is something in the way he carries himself, back straight and shoulders squared, which is both defiant and poignant at once.

Wu Xie feels almost _intimidating,_ despite having a smaller frame than Er Shu, and even Hu Jun is responding to that, his Er Shu taking a step back and giving just a little more ground than the script demanded.

The scene ends in thundering silence, and it takes Wu Xie turning around, eyes reddened and arms slumped slightly in exhaustion before the director recalls himself and screams ‘cut!’ to the audience’s applause.

Huang Jun Jie snaps his mouth shut.

***

His own last scene is the one where he drains himself of almost all his blood to cleanse the poison from Wu Xie's body, and wakes up to Wu Xie _realising_ what Zhang Qi Ling had done for him.

It's the kind of scene Ju Lao Shi is famous for (although Ju Lao Shi is more familiar playing the one who makes all the sacrifices), and Huang Jun Jie is looking forward to it.

He blinks his eyes open to see Wu Xie looking down at him, and for some reason he feels Wu Xie is seeing _past_ Xiao Ge to someone else, and his heart aches at the longing he sees in Wu Xie's eyes. In that moment, Wu Xie’s eyes look _old,_ older than Ju Lao Shi's 30, Wu Xie's own 42, or even Xiao Ge's couple of hundred years.

The anguish he sees in those eyes is not the pain felt by a man who almost lost someone cared for. It belonged to a man who _had_ lost that person.

“You shouldn't have.” Wu Xie presses three fingers against his cheek, leans in close enough that he feels warm breath against his skin.

His heartbeat quickens as the blood rushes to his face.

He almost reaches out to take Wu Xie's hand, to pull him in --

“Cut!”

He blinks as Wu Xie as pulls away, and it is a while before he realises he isn't Zhang Qi Ling, and Ju Lao Shi isn't Wu Xie.

“Great job, kiddo.” The director gives him a friendly thump on the back

 _But I just let myself get carried away._ Huang Jun Jie's heard about it, _method_ acting, the type where you immerse yourself so thoroughly in a character you become _him._ Not his preferred style, although Ju Lao Shi obviously uses it. It's less common amongst trained actors, but you do get oddballs.

He thinks of those eyes when he showers that night, and ends up taking a cold shower despite it being 8 degrees.

***

“Feeling OK?” Shen Wei flashes Li Chan a smile and nods as he takes his water bottle from her.

“Those scenes were intense.” It is her nature to worry, it seems. It seemed that Zhu Yi Long _lived_ his characters, and sometimes took a while to snap out of it without even realising.

“I'm still me,” he assures her, and she blinks.

“I don't know, you remind me --” Her brow furrows.

“Wu Xie?” Shen Wei's acted parts before, despite not being an _act_ or. He has a novel to base Wu Xie off on, a _script_. Zhu Yi Long is a little trickier, since he has only Li Chan, so he keeps to himself, hides away in his trailer and doesn't eat with the team.

He thinks he can do this. After all, he's studied everything Kun Lun wanted him to, groomed himself to be the person Kun Lun wanted him to be. This - persona is so far _less_ than Kun Lun-jun’s expectations.

His heart twists in longing for Zhao Yun Lan.

“No,” she says. “It’s funny, and it's really been quite a while, but you remind me of Shen Wei.”

Shen Wei freezes. She _knows_ him. The real him, and not this -- Zhu Yi Long who looks like him and is nothing like him. Does this mean there is also a Kun Lun in this universe? Is Zhao Yun Lan here as well?

His phone beeps before he manages to ask her any questions, and Shen Wei absent mindedly unlocks his phone. He still finds a smartphone more troublesome than its worth, but has learned enough about Wechat, at least. Thankfully, it seemed that Zhu Yi Long was as inept as he is in technology, so his reluctance to participate in social media doesn't draw too much comment.

He stares down at the monkey faces which occupy the last ten Wechat messages (all sent in the span of 10 seconds), his level of contempt for Zhu Yi Long increasing by the second, until his phone beeps again.

His breath catches in his throat at the familiar face, the one which had haunted his dreams for the past month. For the past ten thousand years.

Li Chan peers over his arm and laughs. “It's Bei Lao Si up to his usual antics again, is it?”

“Bei --?” _Zhao Yun Lan. Kun Lun-jun_.

Li Chan looks at him as if he’s crazy. “Bai Yu,” she says slowly, “your costar for Guardian? Your PUBG partner?”

Shen Wei ignores the unfamiliar term. “I want to see him.”

“Bei Lao Si is in Beijing, and we're flying back the day after tomorrow. You’ll see him soon enough --”

“I want to see him now,” he insists.

“You have an event tomorrow -” She pauses at the expression on his face. “I’ll cancel it.” Shen Wei ignores the look of obvious disapproval.

_Kun Lun._


	4. Bai Yu Gets Himself a New Housemate

“...what?” Bai Yu almost chokes on his  _ dan dan  _ noodles. “...now?” 

“I'm sorry, Bei Lao Si.” Li Chan sounds extremely apologetic, but she doesn't quite manage to hide the underlying tone of worry. “I know it's late, but it seems important.”

It isn't late by Bai Yu's standards, but he chooses not to comment. “Is he -- ok?” he asks tentatively.

“Yes, yes, he's perfectly fine. Just -- agitated. He wouldn't say why.”

_ Why me, though _ . Bai Yu wonders with a slight tinge of guilt if he's managed to finally break Long-ge with monkey memes. The lack of retaliation on Wechat or weibo had been rather out of character.

The doorbell rings, and Li Chan hangs up with “I’m terribly sorry, Bei Lao Si”. 

Bai Yu opens the door to a rabbit-eyed Long-Ge.  _ Fuck _ , he thinks,  _ maybe I sent one too many monkey memes.  _

“Ah, Long-ge.” He slings an arm around Zhu Yi Long’s shoulders and hustles him into the apartment. If anything, Zhu Yi Long’s eyes redden further, and Bai Yu almost panics when he sees those large, almond-shaped eyes glisten with unshed tears 

“Long-ge?” Zhu Yi Long jerks back with a start. “Are you --” Bai Yu bites back the question as he gets Long-ge to settle down on the couch, displacing three cushions and a threadbare teddy bear in the process. Of course Long-ge isn't alright, and this looks a whole lot more serious than monkey memes. 

Bai Yu does a quick toss up between cheese yogurt, beer and mid-range tea, and presses a mug of steaming  _ oolong  _ tea into Zhu Yi Long’s hands. “Talk to me when and if you want to,” he says, settling down onto the couch next to Long-ge.

“Lao Bai.” There is something strange in the way Long-ge pronounces the nickname, as if he is saying it for the first time and testing it out on his tongue. “Xiao Bai?”

“Hm?” Bai Yu blinks when Zhu Yi Long glances up at him from under heavy lashes, his expression unbelievably soft and tender. 

Zhu Yi Long doesn't speak, so Bai Yu feels compelled to fill the silence. He talks about his latest project, how he's both excited about playing a multifaceted character and terrified over not being good enough. He talks about anxiety over performing in public,  _ singing _ , to be precise, because he thinks he isn't that good. Long-ge hangs onto his every word, as if each word carried the weight of mountains.

It is three in the morning when Bai Yu lets his voice peter off. “I have a guest room,” he offers tentatively. He could ask Li Chan or his P.A. to arrange for transport; after all, they both live in the Second Ring, and it wouldn't take more than twenty minutes to get to Long-ge’s place at this hour, but Bai Yu doesn't quite have the heart to suggest it when he sees the red veins in Zhu Yi Long’s eyes.

“The underwear is new,” he adds lamely, and Long-ge’s lips twitch slightly, the first hint of a smile in three hours. 

Thankfully, he's laid the bed for his parents’ visits, and there are fresh towels and toiletries in the ensuite bathroom. Long-ge had stared at the pajama set Bai Yu offered, though. “My sister bought it,” Bai Yu says defensively. The teddy bears aren't  _ that  _ bad, and pajamas are pajamas, regardless of print. 

“I’ll be right next door if you need anything.” 

“...Xiao Bai.” Bai Yu turns around, and Zhu Yi Long's is leaning against the door frame, looking lost and very alone.

Zhu Yi Long lowers his eyes then, and the spell is broken. 

“...good night.”

***

Bai Yu wakes up and wonders briefly if he should have coffee or inky sweet milk tea, when he smells a whiff of something decidedly delicious. 

He sits up so quickly his head spins. Right, Long-ge dropped by at midnight and ended up staying over. Feck. He quickly pulls on short pants and a T-shirt and hurries out. 

“Long-ge, you're the guest,” he starts, “I should be the one ordering in breakfast --” His jaw dropped, the words  _ ‘you don't have to look after my meals’  _ going unspoken when he sees  _ Long-ge,  _ still in teddy bear pajamas, with the addition of a  _ pink _ apron (fan present, and Bai Yu will fight anyone who dares suggest he bought it), stirring  _ porridg _ e at the stove. 

He snaps his mouth shut as Long-ge turns around, large, doe-like eyes blinking in mild confusion. “Ah,” he says weakly.  “Morning.” 

Zhu Yi Long flashes him a smile, and there is a pregnant pause before Bai Yu remembers himself. “I’m the host; you really shouldn't --” He trails off at the expression on Long-ge’s face, a mixture of hurt and disappointment which makes him feel like a complete heel. 

“You don’t eat enough,” Zhu Yi Long says disapprovingly, and Bai Yu is reminded of their time filming Guardian, when Zhu Yi Long would sit down and made sure he finished breakfast. 

“And takeout isn't as good as home cooked.” Bai Yu stares as Zhu Yi Long deftly fills a bowl, sprinkles spring onion and fried garlic, and places it before him. “We have to restock your fridge,” Long-ge continues, near admonishing as he places a bottle of sesame oil next to the bowl of porridge. “You don't have any meat or vegetables in the fridge. I had to make do with the chicken stock in the top left kitchen cabinet.”

Bai Yu hadn't known he had chicken stock in his kitchen cabinet (his mother must have left it there), nor does he know why Long-ge made commercial instant chicken stock sound like an abomination.

“Ah,” he manages, and sits down by the counter, takes a spoonful of porridge at Long-ge’s expectant look. Delicate flavour spreads across his tongue, and Bai Yu finds himself taking another mouthful without realising. “This is really good.” He actually had to make an effort to keep the wonder out of his voice. Long-ge might find it offensive, after all, if Bai Yu simply assumed that he couldn't cook -- despite Long-ge asserting his inability to make anything beyond simple dishes.

“There’s more in the pot.” Bai Yu quickly swallows and gets up, takes Long-ge’s arm and presses him down onto the bar stool next to his seat. “You need to eat as well, I insist. It's the least I can do after being such a terrible host.” 

He feels Zhu Yi Long’s eyes on him as he scoops him a bowl of porridge. He sprinkles spring onion and skips the fried garlic from memory, recalling the lack of fried garlic in Long-ge’s condiment bowl during hotpot. 

Zhu Yi Long stares at the bowl of porridge for so long that Bai Yu starts to worry. “Long-ge --”

“You know that I don't like fried garlic.”

“Of course I do -- you never add it to your condiments during hotpot.” Long-ge visibly starts at that, but the reaction flashes past so quickly Bai Yu almost thinks he imagined it.

His lips twitch a little. “I’m still in violent protest when it comes to your opinion of me being coarse on the outside, sensitive on the inside, though.”

“You're refined on the outside and inside, though, Long-ge,” he teased, “I didn't know you could cook. Your wife is going to be one hell of a lucky lady.” 

“Really?” Zhu Yi Long's eyes crinkle at the corners as his mouth curves up into the smile. His lashes fan out against the curve of his cheeks, in perfect contrast to the smile wrinkles which line the edges of his eyes and mouth. “I'm glad you think so.”

There is something in Zhu Yi Long's voice which gets to Bai Yu, a tone which he can't quite identify despite it being eerily familiar. “Ah.” He clears his throat in answer as he rises and heads towards the coffee machine. “Coffee?”

“You’ve barely eaten,” Bai Yu looks back at the near empty bowl of porridge. It's already five times his normal intake (which typically consists of coffee or milk tea). 

He's never quite developed the habit of having a regular breakfast; he simply isn't a morning person, and sleep is so precious that he would rather spend the five minutes required to finish a breakfast role in bed.

“It's still too early,” he protests slightly, “and you know I'll have something to eat again in another two hours.” Only when Long-ge had been around to make sure he ate, though, but Bai Yu doesn't mention that.

Zhu Yi Long’s brows furrow disapprovingly, but Bai Yu can feel his gaze upon his back as he fiddles with the coffee machine. There is something familiar about it, which Bai Yu can't quite place his fingers on.

“Here.” Zhu Yi Long takes the offered mug, and Bai Yu tells himself he's imagining things when Zhu Yi Long’s fingers linger on his, dragging slowly along the back of his hand before he takes the mug.

Bai Yu clears his throat. “Do you have work today?”

He feels bad for asking when Zhu Yi Long's face fall. “Tomorrow,” Zhu Yi Long says, and Bai Yu wonders if he really heard  _ disgust  _ in Zhu Yi Long's voice, “I have a photoshoot.”

“But today --” Long-ge flashes the full force of a bright, guileless smile upon him.

***

“Ah.” Bai Yu had suggested online shopping, but Zhu Yi Long wouldn't hear of it -- “how would you know if it's fresh?” 

Zhu Yi Long had also patiently explained that he planned to throw out most of the instant food in Bai Yu's cupboards when Bai Yu pointed out that he had chicken stock (again) and canned soup.

“But --”

Zhu Yi Long had simply stared at him with large, dark eyes filled with disappointment.

So here they are in the neighborhood Aeon, masks and hats on, waiting in queue to pay for two large trolleys of groceries. The receipt ends up being at least forty centimetres long, and Bai Yu's head is still reeling from some of the items on the list. Fifteen different spices, for example.

He wonders if the Long-ge he had known before this had been a lie.

He isn't the only one; they bump into his neighbour as they step out of the lift, and Mrs. Zheng's mouth falls open in shock as she sees the six large bags of shopping they each have.

And that's only a third of it.

Bai Yu gazes on sadly as Long-ge throws out his instant noodles. “I’ll make you noodles,” he says firmly, as wholemeal wheat replaces Bai Yu’s favourite brand of imported Korean instant noodles.

“You never told me you could cook.”  _ Homemade noodles _ .  _ From flou _ r. Bai Yu hadn't even known that it is possible -- in his kitchen, that is. 

Zhu Yi Long pauses in the midst of arranging the fifteen spices neatly on a newly purchased rack. “How do you settle your meals then?”

Bai Yu waves his phone at him. “Haven't you tried 'Are You Hungry? Takeout app with fantastic deals.”

For some reason, Zhu Yi Long seems to find the very idea of takeout scandalising. “No,” he says, “not when you already eat nothing but takeout on set.”

So Bai Yu finds himself enjoying extremely delicious Lan Zhou beef noodles for lunch, and an even more exquisite beggar's chicken, cauliflower and egg, and double boiled apple and pear soup for dinner.

He isn't one who observes normal meal times, but he probably ate twice his normal intake across three meals. 

“Where do you find the  _ time _ to learn to cook, Long-ge?” It had been difficult to fight Long-ge over washing the dishes, so he's ended up with dish drying duties instead. That said -- Bai Yu glances surreptitiously down at Long-ge’s hands, notes the skill and speed with which Long-ge cleans the dishes, and resolves to be a better son and younger brother when he goes home next month.

Zhu Yi Long flashes him a smile as he hands him the last dish, his damp fingers sliding across the back of Bai Yu’s hand before he pulls away. “I picked it up across the years.” His gaze flicks down for a few seconds, and Bai Yu swears he hadn't imagined the mild pink at the tips of Long-ge’s ears.

“I don't mind cooking for you.”

Bai Yu admits his brain short circuited for a few seconds.  _ What?! _

**Author's Note:**

> Unbetaed, all mistakes are my own.
> 
> No thanks to the discord for spawning this eldritch horror that will not stop growing. 
> 
> Link to the discord server:
> 
> https://discord.gg/WC7SMUW
> 
> Tags will be added as we post along.


End file.
